Webmaster Kyle Says:
I need to be frank
Nick says:
But we like Kyle
Webmaster Kyle Says:
You intimidate me
Nick says:
Is it this new font I’m using?
Webmaster Kyle Says:
If only it were that simple. It’s your persona.
Nick says:
Let’s explore this
Webmaster Kyle Says:
You were this omnipotent being at Avaya
Nick says:
I like the progress we’re making here
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Lou D’Ambrosia, Avaya’s CEO, called you his “silver bullet” sales engineer
Nick says:
How does that make you feel inside?
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Inferior, if you must know
Nick says:
But you’re a 20 year old marketing phenom
Webmaster Kyle Says:
I sooo needed to hear that from you
Nick says:
Does that mean we can move on?
Webmaster Kyle Says:
First, could you tell me about some of the most exciting deals that Lou brought you in to help close?
Nick says:
I won’t saw be brought in to close, but make the customer happy. Let’s see a large bank, a large distributor and a small investment company that personally knew Lou ;-) I even got to go to the World Cup!
Webmaster Kyle Says:
What was the toughest loss?
Nick says:
A 3 million dollar deal that our competitors literally gave away the product.
Webmaster Kyle Says:
According to my sources you had a distinctly amorphous job in those days. You were the lead convergence engineer supporting a territory and yet Lou would pull you out of the field to support these massive global opportunities. And you were doing extensive work with the product houses. What did it say on your business card, Saint Nick?
Nick says:
It said – I do it all – Jack of all trades, and master of many J
Webmaster Kyle Says:
What contribution to the Communication Manager product line are you most proud of?
Nick says:
Phone feature enhancements for interoperability on Cisco data networks
Webmaster Kyle Says:
It says here that you started a company when you were 19. Tell me more.
Nick says:
More like 20, but even back then integration work was critical to business success and I ate that stuff for breakfast. Gets my blood pumping.
Webmaster Kyle Says:
And aren’t you personally to blame for building Expanets’ Cisco practice from scratch here in the western region?
Nick says:
That was one interesting ride! It was amazing to me that there was such a delta in the support model to move customers into a converged world.
Webmaster Kyle Says:
It seems to me that you were on the fast track to executive stardom at Avaya. Why did you choose to leave?
Nick says:
Reality is that my position would need to reside on the east coast – and although from Chicago, I’m truly a California guy!
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Literally, you could have gone anywhere you wanted. Why Quagga?
Nick says:
At Quagga you were given the opportunity to create once again a support model that allows customers to migrate to technologies according to their own timelines and business needs vs. according to a manufacturer’s timeline. Other opportunities only offered me to continue along the path that those businesses had already created – the same old “ inside the box” mentality!
Webmaster Kyle Says:
As CTO, you have oversight in determining the solutions that Quagga takes to the marketplace. Why Avaya, over say Cisco and Shoretel?
Nick says:
Avaya maintains a very strong technology position--their software is superior to both Cisco and Shoretel, but software alone doesn’t make a satisfied customer. At Quagga we measure success on how happy the customer is and we’ll always use technology from multiple vendors to solve a business problem. It’s part of our core values.
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Why is Avaya so intent on becoming “a software company”?
Nick says:
Simply because Avaya’s technology and ideas are realized in software
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Does that mean 5 years from now we won’t see proprietary Avaya phones, gateways, servers, etc.?
Nick says:
Avaya has already transitioned a majority of their servers and operating systems into a HP or IBM servers running Red Hat Linux Enterprise 4.0. Gateways on the other hand are primarily proprietary but Avaya has just launch joint developed products with Audiocodes offering customers choices. The future is the software!
Webmaster Kyle Says:
So how differently will integrators like Quagga look then?
Nick says:
Our core values of improving customer service, worker productivity, and business efficiency will be the same, but with more options available for our customers.
Webmaster Kyle Says:
I always hear that Quagga pre-sales engineering is our great competitive differentiator.
Nick says:
We take complex technologies make them simple and focus on our core values. A simple formula for success
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Is there a Quagga engineering philosophy?
Nick says:
Don’t re-invent the wheel! We’re fortunate at Quagga to be aligned with best in class technology companies. The power of the solutions we sell is amazing. An engineer is like a matchmaker. Our goal as a team is to listen to the customer, learn about their business, challenges, processes, etc and align them with a system that will make them a more efficient and competitive company.
Webmaster Kyle Says:
There are so many Avaya products, and each one is so nuanced. How do you keep our engineers up to speed on everything?
Nick says:
We have specialists on staff that focus on specific products or solutions, so keeping up is part of the job description.
Webmaster Kyle Says:
\ Do you know about “Rapid Fire”?
Nick says:
Wasn’t that a movie ??
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Do UFO’s exist?
Nick says:
Yes…did you just see that
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Greatest American invention of all time
Nick says:
AC polyphase transmission and AC motor
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Weirdest recent dream
Nick says:
I was trying to convince a group of co-workers that the world was flat!
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Favorite Greek restaurant in the entire country
Nick says:
Costas in Chicago (Greektown)
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Novel
Nick says:
The Robots of Dawn
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Movie
Nick says:
Godfather 1 2 3
Webmaster Kyle Says:
TV show
Nick says:
Entourage. Can't wait for 9-28-08
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Type of wine
Nick says:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Greek Island
Nick says:
Paros
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Athlete
Nick says:
#23 MJ
Webmaster Kyle Says:
You can spend a day with any historical figure….who?
Nick says:
Nikola Tesla
Webmaster Kyle Says:
Same question but with somebody alive today
Nick says:
Stephen Hawking
Webmaster Kyle Says:
I no longer fear you.
Nick says:
We’ve had quite a journey together.